Feeding attachments, feeding cup and methods of use

Abstract

The invention relates to a feeding attachment for a feeding cup for feeding a patient with feeding difficulties. The feeding cup including a cup body for containing thickened liquid food a wall, and an exit channel. The feeding attachment includes an attachment means for removably attaching to the exit channel and a body for receipt of the thickened liquid food, via the exit channel. A control means, for control of the thickened liquid food from the exit channel is also included. In this way thickened liquid food may enter the body of the feeding attachment from the exit channel, as controlled by the control means, and the patient may take the thickened liquid food from the body of the feeding attachment without hyperextension of the neck. The invention also relates to the cup and feeding attachment together and methods of use.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A feeding cup attachment including:
 a body with a proximal end and a distal end, the body having a substantially spoon shaped portion with a bowl and peripheral rim, the body being adapted to permit contents of within the bowl to be taken by a patient off the distal end, and wherein the rim substantially at the distal end substantially lies within a spoon plane and the proximal-most portion of the rim projects from the spoon plane so as to define a holding cuff proximal of the bowl, wherein the holding cuff is expandable such that in use it may expand as a result of fluid held therein; 
 attachment means at the proximal end of the body, the attachment means including a tube therethrough terminating at an open end into the bowl, and the attachment means being adapted to attach the feeding cup attachment to a feeding cup with cooperating cup attachment means; and 
 a valve arrangement within the tube adapted to control the flow of a fluid within the tube; 
 
       the feeding cup attachment being adapted in use to be selectively tiltable though a tilt plane substantially orthogonal to the spoon plane between one configuration where a fluid in the bowl may be poured off the distal end of the body and in another configuration the fluid in the bowl is retained within the holding cuff. 
     
     
       2. The feeding cup attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the holding cuff when the spoon plane is tilted towards the vertical defines a volume greater than a fluid holding volume of the bowl when the spoon plane is horizontal. 
     
     
       3. The feeding cup attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment means defines an attachment axis substantially coaxial with the elongate axis of the tube, and the attachment axis distends proximally from the spoon plane by substantially 45 to 65 degrees and so thereby adapted to attach with a cup attachment means projecting at substantially 25 to 45 to the vertical. 
     
     
       4. The feeding cup attachment according of  claim 1 , wherein the valve arrangement includes a one-way valve that allows fluid to flow to the bowl but prevents or resists back flow such that in use the valve arrangement is adapted to allow fluid to flow into the bowl and prevent or slow back flow from the bowl. 
     
     
       5. The feeding cup attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the valve arrangement regulates the flow of fluid therethrough. 
     
     
       6. The feeding cup attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment means is removably attachable to the cup attachment means. 
     
     
       7. A feeding cup and feeding cup attachment wherein the combination includes:
 the feeding cup attachment of  claim 1 ; and 
 a feeding cup including a cup body, cup attachment means and a fluid exit associated with the cup attachment means. 
 
     
     
       8. The feeding cup and the feeding attachment of  claim 7 , wherein the cup attachment means projects from a side of the cup body substantially at a base of the feeding cup. 
     
     
       9. The feeding cup and the feeding cup attachment of  claim 7 , wherein the cup attachment means is substantially at 25 to 45 degrees to the vertical when the base is horizontal. 
     
     
       10. The feeding cup and the feeding cup attachment of  claim 7 , wherein the fluid exit is tubular that at one end projects from a side of the cup body near a base of the feeding cup and the cup attachment means is at the other end of the fluid exit. 
     
     
       11. The feeding cup and the feeding cup attachment of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid exit projects at substantially 25 to 45 degrees to the vertical when the base is horizontal. 
     
     
       12. The feeding cup and the feeding cup attachment of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid exit is curved along its length. 
     
     
       13. The feeding cup and the feeding cup attachment of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid exit has a transverse cross-sectional dimension of at least 20 millimetres. 
     
     
       14. The feeding cup and the feeding cup attachment of  claim 7 , wherein the feeding cup attachment and feeding cup are attached together. 
     
     
       15. A feeding cup attachment including:
 a body with a proximal end and a distal end, the body having a substantially spoon shaped portion with a bowl and peripheral rim, the body being adapted to permit contents of within the bowl to be taken by a patient off the distal end, and wherein the rim substantially at the distal end substantially lies within a spoon plane and the proximal-most portion of the rim projects from the spoon plane so as to define a holding cuff proximal of the bowl; 
 attachment means at the proximal end of the body, the attachment means including a tube therethrough terminating at an open end into the bowl, and the attachment means being adapted to attach the feeding cup attachment to a feeding cup with cooperating cup attachment means, wherein the attachment means defines an attachment axis substantially coaxial with the elongate axis of the tube, and the attachment axis distends proximally from the spoon plane by substantially 45 to 65 degrees and so thereby adapted to attach with a cup attachment means projecting at substantially 25 to 45 to the vertical; and 
 a valve arrangement within the tube adapted to control the flow of a fluid within the tube; 
 
       the feeding cup attachment being adapted in use to be selectively tiltable though a tilt plane substantially orthogonal to the spoon plane between one configuration where a fluid in the bowl may be poured off the distal end of the body and in another configuration the fluid in the bowl is retained within the holding cuff. 
     
     
       16. The feeding cup attachment of  claim 15 , wherein the holding cuff when the spoon plane is tilted towards the vertical defines a volume greater than a fluid holding volume of the bowl when the spoon plane is horizontal. 
     
     
       17. The feeding cup attachment according of  claim 15 , wherein the valve arrangement includes a one-way valve that allows fluid to flow to the bowl but prevents or resists back flow such that in use the valve arrangement is adapted to allow fluid to flow into the bowl and prevent or slow back flow from the bowl. 
     
     
       18. The feeding cup attachment of  claim 15 , wherein the valve arrangement regulates the flow of fluid therethrough. 
     
     
       19. The feeding cup attachment of  claim 15 , wherein the attachment means is removably attachable to the cup attachment means.